The Big Bang Theory Information and Materials:


Background:
The show is about four physicists who work at the California Institute of Technology and how their lives are challenged when a new neighbor moves in. The physicists are very smart but also very geeky and not very experienced with women. Two of them, Sheldon and Leonard share an apartment. They have two friends, Howard and Raj, who often stop by for dinner and to watch science fiction programs or play video games. Their routines are challenged when a very hot waitress, Penny, moves in across the hallway. Penny isn't book smart like the physicists, but she is kindhearted and street smart.

Annotated Word File of Pilot Transcript:



Vocabulary and Phrases: See the transcript

Culture Notes:

Fuddruckers restaurant: http://www.fuddruckers.com/
Fudruckers' menu: http://www.fuddruckers.com/menu/
Battlestar Galactica: http://www.syfy.com/battlestar/
Parallax distortion: http://www.adventuredives.com/parallax.htm


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Klingon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klingon
Klingon Language: http://www.kli.org/
Boggle (how to play): http://www.centralconnector.com/GAMES/boggle.html
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Star Wars bath products:
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Proximal and Distal Causes: http://users.ecs.soton.ac.uk/harnad/Hypermail/Explaining.Mind96/0229.html
Mack Daddy: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mack+daddy

Pilot Episode:

Sheldon's sitting spot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2hIIvF5gJI&feature=related
Best bits (has most of the beginning of the program): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFS1F-3XVtk&feature=related

http://blip.tv/diego-byrd/the-big-bang-theory-streaming-season-1-episode-1-pilot-2157465

Other Clips:
The Big Bang Theory - The Cooper-Nowitzki Theorem
The Big Bang Theory - A Conversation About Girls
The Big Bang Theory - Penny Blond Wonder Woman

Theme Song Music Videos: These are all various versions of the same song


Opening Theme Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B409mw3mzI4&feature=related
Barenaked Ladies, History of Everything with subtitles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhTSfOZUNLo
Another Big Bang Theory theme song music video (drawing version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9-jUP3-bP4&feature=related

High Def full length version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldkw1YE7J-o&feature=related
Another version with lyrics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENPTdhI8IIE&feature=related
Opening sequence in slow motion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzbDI1MAlhk

Lyrics

Lyrics to the entire song: http://www.lyricstime.com/barenaked-ladies-the-big-bang-theory-theme-song-lyrics.html

Our whole universe was in a hot dense state,
Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait...
The Earth began to cool,
The autotrophs began to drool,
Neanderthals developed tools,
We built a wall (we built the pyramids),
Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries,
That all started with the big bang!

Autotrophs and Heterotrophs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Auto-and_heterotrophs.png

Useful Links:

Pilot Episode Transcript: http://bigbangtrans.wordpress.com/series-1-episode-1-pilot-episode/
Transcripts: http://bigbangtrans.wordpress.com/

Wikipedia Background Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Bang_Theory

Explanation of photon double-slit experiment: http://www.bottomlayer.com/bottom/basic_delayed_choice.htm

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Discussion Questions:

Big Bang Theory – Pilot Episode Discussion Questions
  1. Describe the cultural conflict between Penny and the physicists.
  2. Have you ever been in a situation where you really felt out of place?
  3. Which physicist are you most like?
  4. Describe the weird quirks of the physicists.
  5. Describe the weird quirks of your roommates, friends, or classmates.
  6. What are some good lines to use to pick up girls?
  7. What are some actions that a boy should avoid if he is trying to pick up a girl?
  8. Translate Sheldon’s views on astrology for Penny.
  9. How does Leonard try to get Penny to like him?

  1. Find the lines in the script that refer to sex.
  2. Find the lines in the script that refer to pooping.
  3. What are the insulting remarks that Sheldon makes.
  4. What are different ways to state that you agree?
  5. What are different ways to state that you disagree?